Inspection Flashcard #5

Q: Hot water is ______ degrees F or greater.

What’s your best guess?

(try refraining from Google searching the answer) Inspection Flashcard #4

110 f

110 F is correct

I had one, temp was 98 F. Should I recommend ***increasing ***it to 110+F?

Because domestic and service hot water circulating systems must be designed to maintain a meantemperature rating of 100 degrees. My guess would be
100F

120-125 is recommended to help control bacteria and safely wash clothes and dishes.

Temp. F 1 Deg Burn 2 Deg Burn
111 270 Min’s 300 Min’s
113 120 Min’s 180 Min’s
116 20 Min’s 45 Min’s
118 15 Min’s 20 Min’s
120 8 Min’s 10 Min’s
124 2 Min’s 4.2 Min’s
131 17 Sec’s 30 Sec’s
140 3 Sec 5 Sec’s
151 Instant 2 Sec’s
158 Instant 1 Second
160 Instant Instant

To answer Ben’s question…110

Equal to or greater than 110. According tonachi education.

110f

110F

ANSWER: 100 degrees Fahrenheit
(IRC 2006 Section R202 Definitions)
Go to Inspection Flashcard #6

We do not inspect to code.

My advice is to specifically refrain from recommending or referencing ANY specific temperature.

If the water heater is producing water at a temperature of 95 degrees F, one can point to the fact that, the temperature of the water does not fall into the range of what some standards regard as hot water.

Remind them that the water heater has its own thermostatic control which may or may not be accurate, and that the client will ultimately have to decide what the acceptable temperature of the water should or should not be. Temperature that is too high may result in scalding.

I do not officially measure the temperature of the water. If the water heater fires, if it is not rusted, if it is not tool old, and the water is warm/hot… then that is it.

Good stuff.

For gas-fired tanks, I like to take a picture of the dial setting at the time of the inspection.
Inspection Flashcard #6

http://www.bengromicko.com/images/hot-water-tank-picture-bengromicko.jpg

Those not checking water temperatures should think twice and review the following webinar and story…

Scald hazard webinar:
http://homesafetycouncil.org/AboutUs/ExpertNetwork/en_webinar_w007.asp

Recommended viewing if you aren’t checking water temperatures during your inspections.
The webinar came about due to the following story:

Leah, a beautiful 11-month old baby girl and her older sister were visiting their grandparents’ new home. The grandmother left Leah sitting in the bath tub in less than 1" of water. She was gone just long enough to bring Leah’s sister to the bath.

http://www.bcwarner.com/files/babyleah.gif

During the 2 minutes she was gone, Leah apparently stood up in the bath tub and used the hot water lever for support, turning the hot water on full force into the tub.
Because they were in a new home, no one had thought about checking or adjusting the hot water temperature, which was set in excess of 130 degrees. The recommended temperature is 120 degrees.
From her feet all the way to her chin, Leah suffered third degree burns over 90% of her tiny body. Even with the help and dedication of the best doctors in the country, Leah wasn’t able to win this battle for her life.
Leah passed away after 48 hours in the hospital – two days before her first birthday. If Leah had survived, she would have spent at least 20 months in the burn unit and required at least 30 operations before her 18th birthday.
The message I wish you to take from this story is that many home accidents are not trivial. They can be extremely serious with devastating consequences to the entire family.
For children ages 14 and under, fires and burns are the leading cause of unintentional home injury deaths and it only takes seconds to change lives forever.
THE HOME SAFETY COUNCIL needs your help to prevent the deaths of more children like Leah. Our safety programs are saving lives, but much more work needs to be done. There are still too many children at risk!
THE HOME SAFETY COUNCIL is creating a Fund in Leah’s memory to reach more children and to raise money to maintain and create vital safety programs for children that combine fun, interactive safety lessons with practical lifesaving messages. With the right information, THE HOME SAFETY COUNCIL believes that parents and caregivers will make good choices about their family’s health, safety and general well being. We also agree that children have a great capacity to develop sound decision-making safety skills at a young age that will last them a lifetime. Your generous contribution will help THE HOME SAFETY COUNCIL continue its award winning children’s programs. One of the most successful is The Great Safety Adventure ® (GSA), a “field trip on wheels” that teaches school-age children about home safety. Sponsored by HSC, the exhibit visits elementary schools and sponsor locations teaching home safety practices to children and their parents, and encouraging behavior changes to ensure safer families and homes.
GSA’s mission: to search the home for common safety hazards including fires and burns, poisonings, choking and suffocation and slips and falls. To date, GSA has reached 1 million children and their parents. According to a recent independent study conducted by Pacific Research Associates, children who have participated in The Great Safety Adventure have learned more important home safety messages than children who do not participate in the program. About a third of the parents (32%) reported the family made a safety improvement in the home due to their children’s participation in The Great Safety Adventure. The HOME SAFETY COUNCIL is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home-related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.
Not only is your contribution tax-deductible - it also allows the HOME SAFETY COUNCIL to continue to educate people of all ages to keep them safer in and around their homes.
I truly hope you will take this opportunity to make a positive decision to support the HOME SAFETY COUNCIL. Your donation might well be the most important contribution you will make this year.
Click here to donate to the Home Safety Council’s Leah Fund

Said story, but smart recommendation William.